Healthy Calorie-dense Foods

Healthy Calorie-dense Foods

We all know that pizza, burgers, and burritos are not exactly health food. While most dieters are wise enough to be wary of greasy quick-serve options, they often underestimate the number of Calories in otherwise healthy foods, sabotaging their diets and preventing weight loss, or even causing weight gain.

So how can a food be healthy, and be a Calorie-bomb?

Well, it’s fairly simple.

We need a certain number of Calories to maintain a healthy weight, but the macronutrient distribution, fiber, and vitamin and mineral content of a food ultimately determines whether or not that food is “healthy”.

Foods like olive oil, nuts, and avocado are very good for us, but are very Calorie-dense foods; they often contain just as many Calories (if not more) than obviously fatty options like butter, tortilla chips, and processed snacks.

There’s no need to eliminate Calorically dense foods from your diet, but you do need to take care to weigh and measure your food.

Below are four of the most common Calorie-bombs or Calorie-dense foods: it pays to be aware of these items, so that you can still enjoy their health-promoting qualities without sacrificing the number on the scale.

Calorie-dense Foods – Peanut, Almond, and other Nut Butters

Sweet, nutty, and salty, PB&J is a lifelong romance that often sabotages weight loss.

You can keep your favorite sandwich, but be sure to measure, measure, measure!

Nut butters are, by far, the most over-consumed healthy Calorie-dense foods: prepare yourself for a shock, and then measure 2 tbsp. Most people are floored to find how little two tablespoons is compared to what they’re used to.

Two tablespoons contain 200 Calories, and most people use at least twice that.

If you dislike measuring, you can also buy single-serving pouches or squeeze packets.

Calorie-dense Foods – Whole Grains

Whole grains provide fiber and are digested more slowly than “white” or refined grain products that are high on the Glycemic Index.

While whole grain breads, tortillas, pasta, and rice are healthier than their refined counterparts, they contain the same number of Calories, and we still tend to over-consume them.

Remember: a whole wheat bagel is still a bagel, and a plate of whole wheat pasta is still the same number of Calories as white pasta would be.

Remember: the average adult needs no more than 600 Calories per day from grain products, regardless of whether those products are whole grain.

Calorie-dense Foods – Avocados and Guacamole

Avocados are a great sources of monounsaturated fat, a heart-healthy fat that can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

It’s also one of the most common Calorie-overdose foods: whether on a sandwich, in a burrito, or atop a chip as guacamole, the creamy and fat-packed fruits are often billed as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise or fatty dips.

While avocados are a great source of “healthy” fat, they do contain 120 Calories per ½ cup; more for guacamole since avocados are mashed in preparation, and therefor more condensed.

Whenever you’re using avocado as a replacement for fat on a sandwich or burger, always take care to measure your portion: it’s best to measure with a ¼ cup measure or stick to a golf-ball size portion.

Calorie-dense Foods – Olive Oil and Vinaigrettes

Like avocado, Olive Oil is a great source of monounsaturated fat, but contains a whopping 120 Calories per tablespoon. The same goes for other healthy oils and vinaigrettes containing these healthy oils.

At restaurants, be aware of healthy Calorie-dense foods. Always order your dressing on the side, and apply it with the tines of your fork, or drizzled with a spoon rather than pouring it on.

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